sax

¹ American  

[saks] / sæks /

noun

Informal.

1. saxophone.

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sax ² American  

[saks] / sæks /

noun

1. a short, single-edged sword of ancient Scandinavia.

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Sax. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. Saxon.

2. Saxony.

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sax ¹ British  

/ sæks /

noun

1. a tool resembling a small axe, used for cutting roofing slate

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sax ² British  

/ sæks /

noun

1. informal short for saxophone

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Etymology

Origin of sax¹

By shortening

Origin of sax²

before 900; Middle English sexe, Old English seax, sæx; cognate with Old Norse sax ( Swedish, Danish sax scissors). See saw ¹

Example Sentences

Yvonne Lanauze’s vocal is modest, but the track blossoms in the instrumental solos—Hodges’s alto sax singing with quiet poise, and Tyree Glenn’s trombone talking with emotion and eloquence, raising the whole performance to another level.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

I was hooked by the magisterial piano and sax solos of the epic “Jungleland,” set in a romanticized New York City—instantly my first favorite Bruce song.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

From trap corrido originators Arsenal Efectivo to Conjunto Rienda Real’s signature norteño sax, each performer paid tribute to their closest friends and professional peers — many of whom were invited to share the stage.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2025

“If you added a sax solo, for example, it’d be one element too far. You might as well put on a waistcoat and go home.”

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2024

“Thoreau, I have led a varied life—dishwasher, sax player, teacher. To me it has been an interesting life. Just now it seems very dull.”

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George